The red fox vixen stands watch over her “kit pile” — five young sleeping in a ball on the grass in the early morning dappled sun.
My fascination with, and great affection for, red foxes traces to seven years ago when we had a den very close to our home for two seasons. Unfortunately, the second season was cut short by neighborhood dogs that caused the foxes to move their kits to an alternate den. I searched the woods — following tracks in the snow for many hours — trying to find that den without success.
Before they moved the den in May, 2020, I was able to get some nice photos of the family including this one.
One of those kits found a feather and carried it back to near the den.
The next year Marc told me about a den in Andover, and I was able to get some photos between spending many hours staring at an empty yard.
So I was overjoyed recently at the beginning of a bird walk when Tom told me about red fox kits near his house and showed me some amazing photos he took with his iPhone. Immediately after the walk, I hustled over to the site he described and took a few quick photos before they disappeared. But I returned twice more and was rewarded by kits posing and playing.
I was thrilled when the vixen made a surprise appearance. She is such a beautiful fox. She looks like she is staring right at me, and she likely was. But I was quite far away shooting through foliage with a long lens. You can see a bit of yellow blur from the foliage at the bottom of the first two photos below and in some of the other photos as well.
The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the largest of true foxes and the most widespread fox species. It is a very adaptable fox, denning in both forests and near houses in urban areas. They have incredible hearing: red foxes use this hearing to locate rodents under snow or underground and then pounce jumping high in the air and landing directly on the prey. They are solitary hunters.
I enjoyed seeing the kits interacting.
The kits had some good natured (I believe) tussles including biting, but they never seemed to do so in a way to hurt a sibling.
The kits seemed to be sun lovers, often sleeping on top of each other. In spite of an occasional fight, they seem to get along well. I hope they have a great spring and long life.
